Lorentz-type motors exploit the basic principle that a charged particle moving in a magnetic field experiences a force in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement. Stated mathematically: F=qvXB, where F is force, q is the charge of the charged particle, v is the instantaneous velocity of the particle, and B is the magnetic field. So, if a current is flowing through a wire and a magnetic field is applied in perpendicular direction, the wire experiences a force trying to move it sideways.
A simple configuration that harnesses this principle is a coil encircling a magnetic core made of permanent magnets. The coil, referred to as the actuator, is arranged to be capable of sliding back and forth along the length of the magnetic core or magnetic stator. In that configuration, flowing a current though the coil results in a force on the coil pushing it in one direction along the length of the magnetic core. Reversing the direction of current flow causes the coil to move in the opposite direction. The magnitude of the current determines the strength of the force. And the shape of the current waveform determines how the force changes over time. With such an arrangement, by applying an appropriate current waveform to the coil, one can make the coil move back and forth along the magnetic core in a controlled manner. The controlled movement of the actuator can, in turn, be used to perform work.